John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara's Best Movie Only Happened Because They Agreed To Make A Classic Western First

By Laura Kelly

Published Apr 17, 2025

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five movies Wayne and O’Hara made together.

While Rio Grande, a John Ford Western, was a triumphant blend of action and heartfelt sentiment, The Quiet Man was a surprising departure, both for John Ford’s directorial career and John Wayne’s usual roles. He plays a retired boxer, Thornton, who returns to his Irish roots in the fictional town of Inisfree, which he says has become synonymous with heaven to him. The film centers on his efforts to regain his family's land while he falls for a lively local woman, Mary Kate, played by Maureen O'Hara. Its stunning visuals and cultural portrayal delve into identity and tradition.

John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara Had To Make Rio Grande Before The Quiet Man

Republic Pictures Cut Ford A Deal When He Was Desperate

The Quiet Man was a risky major departure for John Ford that paid off in the end, but his studio, Republic Pictures, would not allow him to make it until he had directed Rio Grande. Ford, who was smitten with the Maurice Walsh story The Quiet Man is based on, spent 15 years trying to finance the adaptation (per Ireland’s Eye). Multiple studios had been dismissive of the movie, and even when Ford got Republic to agree, it came with this catch that Ford made another Western for them first as a trade-off for this departure from the genre.

Studio boss Herbert J Yates said the purpose of Rio Grande was to make the money he assumed they would lose on The Quiet Man. This means the former was a means to an end, which may have put a bitter tinge on the production. Nonetheless, it was certainly a success at the box office. While critics noted that the western conventions in Ford’s Cavalry trilogy were well-worn, they showed “few signs of wear and tear” regardless (per New York Times).

Both Wayne & O'Hara Movies Are Great, But The Quiet Man Is Better

The Quiet Man Surprised And Delighted Audiences

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man

Despite Ford being uninterested in directing another Western at that point in his career, none of his genre fatigue spoils the final product. The Western movie starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was shot in just 32 days on the beautifully filmed location of Monument Valley near Moab, Utah. The horsemanship and stunts were praised, as well as the songs. In 2008, it was one of 50 films nominated for the top 10 best Westerns by the American Film Institute. This is a testament to the formula for success Ford had honed by the time he made the movie.

Maureen O’Hara even joked that by the time he got it made, they would be too old for their roles...

This being said, The Quiet Man was a better work overall. The charming Irish rom-com proved all the studios wrong by outperforming Rio Grande at the box office. It greatly elevated Republic Pictures with its Oscar nomination for Best Picture, so Ford’s perseverance in getting the film made paid off. Maureen O’Hara even joked that by the time he got it made, they would be too old for their roles.

Collage of Gary Cooper in High Noon, Clint Eastwood in The Good the Bad and the Ugly and Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained

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Thanks to the money raised by Rio Grande to finance The Quiet Man, an Irish story that was dismissed by many as silly is now ed as a refreshing departure for both John Ford and John Wayne. Both of them have cemented their place in movie history, The Quiet Man having a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Rio Grande a respectable 75%.

Source: Ireland’s Eye, New York Times